Convalescent
by M.C. Mae
Summary: An alternate world in which Mai reads of her own accord (sort of), is not an orphan, and...can mend injuries using only her bare hands. Join Mai as she navigates taking cases with SPR, her new friendships, and, of course, learning how to properly utilize her PK-LT abilities.
1. Incipient

Hello! Thanks for taking the time to check out my work-in-progress. Please let me know what you think (as constructive criticism is always welcomed and encouraged!). Also, I do not own Ghost Hunt.

The day had started like any other; meaning, in short, Mai Taniyama was perfectly, acceptably early. She liked being early so she could go over the material before class started...not that the teachers needed to know that. Mai was what many would call an _underachiever._ That is, unless they really knew her at all. But alas, that is another story for another day. As Mai walked beneath the blooming cherry blossoms, her gaze taking in the natural beauty of the early morning, she couldn't help but revel in the quiet. Though, if you asked her, she enjoyed the bustling cities a bit more-the sonder of those bustling through the streets, the intoxicating aromas of cooking food, and the tall buildings are enough to take her breath away. It is a necessity, Mai believes, to be alone, sometimes, in order to find oneself, but only once in a great, _great_ while. There _is_ a difference between being alone and being _lonely_ after all. Besides, Mai's a people person through and through.

Mai's inner one-sided monologue was cut short when she caught sight of the Old Schoolhouse. Thinking of the stories told the night before, she gave the building a wide berth, even while cursing herself for behaving like a small child. Haunted or not, she refused to be intimidated by a rickety old structure, even if the accidents (supposedly) reported there did make her heart ache. In that moment, Mai resolves to find out more tonight when she and the girls get together for telling ghost stories. With an affirmative nod, she steps through her school's doors.

Boredom. It's prevalent in each yawn, doodle, and glazed-over looks in the students' eyes. Mai sighs softly, fidgeting in the hard, uncomfortable plastic chair. English never had been her strong suit, though she's not _too_ terrible compared to her classmates. Flicking her gaze up at the teacher, whose rambling about grammar or something equally uninteresting, she quietly reaches into her bag and pulls out a book. No one notices, or if they do, they don't bother notifying the teacher.

"-Taniyama-san," Gushiken-sensei says. I freeze, having dropped the guise of paying attention some time ago. "The answer, Taniyama-san."

"Three." The class giggles and a tick appears on their _sensei's_ brow. "You are aware that you are in an _English_ class, correct?" _Really? I hadn't noticed._ "Ah, yes, Sir. S-sorry." More laughter. "Just don't let it happen again, Miss Taniyama."

"Yes, Sir." He nods, satisfied, and calls on one of the students seated near the front. Mai waits a moment or two before opening her book again.

"So, I heard you got caught not paying attention again," Michiru says, a trace of a smile on her lips, one of the few people who understands my situation.

"Yeah." Mai shrugs. _Now, to more important matters._ "We're getting together for ghost stories tonight, right?" Michiru's smile broadens into an impish grin. "I _told_ you that you'd enjoy telling ghost stories, didn't I?" Though teasing, there is a trace of 'I told you so' in there somewhere.

"Yes," Mai says, feigning exasperation. Mai's able to keep a straight face for a record of five seconds before her face begins to spasm. She and Michiru giggle as they return to their lockers, coincidentally next to each other's.

"And yeah, we're meeting tonight at eight," Michiru adds as they drop off their things. Mai grabs her bento and grins, excitement singing through her veins. She and Michiru mutually decide to go outside to eat, though it's just the two of them today, as Keiko is working on an art project. _The fresh air is exactly what I needed,_ Mai thinks as they settle beneath the shade of one of the trees that litter the school's grounds.

"I don't know why you don't just, I don't know, _tell_ people," Michiru exclaims as Mai sits with her chopsticks in one hand and book in the other.

"Do you really think they'd believe me?" she asks, proficiently multitasking.

"So you want everyone to think you're reading...what cover did you put over your book today? And what are you _actually_ reading?"

"Ghost hunt," she says, glancing over at her friend. "You know, that teen novel-"

"I _know_ what Ghost Hunt is!" she exclaims. "How could I not?" Mai rolls her eyes at her friends dramatic behavior.

"As for what I'm _actually_ reading, it's an assigned text from my _sensei_ , of course." Mai says, pausing to dog ear a page, as she doesn't feel like digging through her bag for a highlighter.

"That's so awesome, Mai," Michiru says, almost wistfully. "I bet you'll get into medical school for sure when we graduate!" Mai laughs, throwing her head back, and accidentally knocking it against the trunk of the tree. "Ow," she mutters, glaring at the tree's high branches. MIchiru snorts. "...Well, maybe."

"Hey!" Mai exclaims. "No take backs!"

"I was only teasing," Michiru assures her friend, noting, once again, how easy it is to get Mai's back up. "You'll do awesome. Me on the other hand, well…" Michiru shrugs. "Oh, crap!"

"What?" Mai demands, concerned.

"I totally forgot! I need to speak with one of my teachers about the test I missed! Crap, crap, my mom's gonna kill me!"

Now it's Mai's turn to do the assuring. "It'll be fine. Let me know how it goes, though."

"I will! I'll see you tonight. Bye, Mai!" she says, her words slurring together in her rush to grab her things.

"See ya," Mai says, waving as she dashes away.


	2. Inchoate

Hello! Please excuse any mistakes I made in my last chapter; I guess I got so excited to upload the first chapter of my story that I didn't edit as well as I should have. A huge thanks to everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed and/or was curious enough to take a peek at my story. Also, I don't own _Ghost Hunt_.

After nearly getting her book taken away (for a third time), Mai decides to take a break trying to read during her classes. As such, the rest of the day passes in a haze of sleep deprived daydreaming and sloppy doodles. Once she's dismissed from her classes, she eagerly dashes through the doors, thrilled to be finished with school for the day. Even more so since the weekend has officially started. Once again, Mai passes by the Old Schoolhouse...This time, however, she's tempted to go take a peek inside, if only to shut down her irrational avoidance of the building. Mai, refusing to back down, quickly makes her way over and peeks inside.

"A...camera?" she wonders aloud. _Brand new, too_. _Expensive-looking._ She gingerly opens the door and takes a step inside, her curiosity overpowering her fear. "Why in the world…" Mai mutters, brow furrowed. _Why would someone just leave a camera here? This building's_ technically _supposed to be off limits._ For a moment, she considers leaving and reporting this admittedly odd occurrence to her principal. Then dismisses it. Doing so would probably incriminate her, too.

"It would be a wise decision to not touch my camera," a voice says, causing Mai to jump a few feet in the air, only just missing bumping into a shelf. On the other side of the room stands a boy around her age, perhaps a bit older, with dark hair and pale features.

"I'm sorry," Mai says automatically. "But what are you doing here? This building's supposed to be off limits."

"I could ask the same thing," he replies, noticeably not answering the question, which, for some reason, irks her immensely.

"Yes, you could," Mai agrees. "But I asked first and it's common courtesy to answer someone's question." The boy gives her a measured look, as if debating whether or not she's worth wasting the time explaining. Mai just meets his gaze with a level one of her own and waits for a response.

"My company was hired to investigate this building," he answers after a drawn out pause.

" _Your_ company?" she asks, dumbfounded. "You're, what? Seventeen? Eighteen?"

"Seventeen, and yes, my company. Shibuya Psychic Research, or SPR for short." He then points to the camera that rests on a tripod. "That's also my camera you were about to touch and probably break."

"You-you-I just meet you and that's what you have to say?!" Mai throws her hands up in outrage. "I don't even know your name and-"

"Kazuya Shibuya," he says. "Now, if you'll excuse me, you're interrupting my investigation."

"Mai Taniyama," she replies snarkily. "And I won't be for much longer, I can _assure_ you, _Shibuya-san_." Then she stomps out of the dust filled room, headed toward home.

Mai shuts the door quietly behind her, kicking off her black flats haphazardly by the door, and taking her bag with her into the living room. She glances over at the clock-not even four o'clock yet-and happily takes out her book, ignoring that pesky voice reminding her that there's homework needing to be done.

"I'm home!" a melodious voice trills from the entry way. Mai glances up, blinking in order to focus her vision as she crashes back into the real world.

"Hey, Mom. I'm in here." My mother, dressed in her typical pencil skirt and blazer without a single hair out of place, drops her purse and an armful of folders onto the counter with a relieved sigh. "How was work?"

"Fine, fine," she says, waving my question away. I can see it, though. The shadows beneath her eyes, even though she tries to conceal them with makeup.

"Are you okay?" I ask, immediately giving her my complete attention. "Do you need me to-"

"No, no," she says, easing into the floor beside me. "I'm fine, I promise. I'll let you know if this changes, Mai-chan." _When_ , Mai corrects to herself. _You'll let me know_ when _this changes_.

"Alright. Did you make that appointment?"

"Yes, yes. Honey," she says, taking her daughter's hand. "I am _alright._ Quit worrying; you'll get wrinkles prematurely!" Mai's gaze seems to glaze over; her eyes narrow almost imperceptibly. "Mai? Are you alright?"

"Fine." She pulls her hand away. "Just fine. Do you have to look over any cases today?" Mom sighs. "Yes. It's a hard one, Mai."

"I see," Mai murmurs, not missing how _tired_ she sounds. "You know how I feel about you overworking yourself."

"And _you_ know how I feel about _you_ overworking yourself. When was the last time you ate?" she demands.

"I had a bento at lunch," Mai says smugly.

"Few and far between," Mom says. "And the last time you _actually_ slept?" Mom's got me there-and knows it.

"Fine," Mai grumbles. "But you don't sleep all that greatly either! And I don't-" Mai pauses lamely mid phrase, "-work like you do." She fiddles with the end of her skirt, biting her lip. "Just let me know if you need anything."

"You too. I'm always here for you; you know that, right?" Mai, unbidden, thinks of all those late nights waiting for her mom to come home, of practically sneaking around the house so as to not interrupt Mom's work, of weekends home alone. Of getting ice cream together, and working on homework while she worked, of those moments being curled up on the couch while watching a movie…of the numerous 'I love you's throughout the years…

"Yes," Mai murmurs. "I know."


	3. Yuanfen

Hello! Thanks once again for reading and/or reviewing/following/favoriting! This chapter is a bit longer than the others so let me know what you think. It's always great to get feedback and is always encouraged! Also, I don't own _Ghost Hunt_.

"I'm SO EXCITED!" Michiru screeches. Mai blinks at her perpetually loud friend, turning to Keiko-chan and mouthing, _Is this how it feels to be around us?_ While not nearly as loud, Mai admits, though grudgingly, that there are times-like when she's angry or exuberant-when she could _probably_ lower her voice. Keiko giggles and nods, mouthing back, _But I wouldn't change anything._

 _Aw,_ Mai thinks, _but that's Keiko-chan for you._ "How's your project coming along?" she asks curiously, knowing that, one day, her art would hang in a gallery somewhere.

"It's fine," she answers, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "It's not going as smoothly as I'd hoped, but that's the creative process, I guess."

"I wouldn't know." Mai grins. "I flunked art." Michiru stares at Mai, wide-eyed, ignorant of this piece of information.

"Then how come you didn't have to take it again?" she demands.

"I had to do grunt work for the Art Club. Keiko-chan was present and made my time a little less unbearable."

"That had to _suck_ ," Michiru says empathetically, making Mai smile. Keiko-chan looks affronted and Mai replies, "It's not you, promise. You're our favorite artsy person-it's just that it's so _boring_."

"Says the girl that reads _anatomy_ books during lunch!" she snaps. Now it's Mai's turn to look affronted. "You _know_ my _sensei_ gives me assigned readings! It's not like I can just ignore them! And _excuse you_ , my knowledge has helped plenty." She looks pointedly at Michiru. "Why else would I put myself through that?"

"I don't know how you can call art _boring_ but read those books and be completely attentive. It makes no sense to me!" Keiko-chan says.

"What makes no sense to _me_ is why you hide your brilliant-ness!" Michiru adds. "You hide your books in covers of the stupidest novels. It's starting to get ridiculous, Mai!" Mai doesn't reply, considering the questions.

"I just...when I read ' _those_ ' books, I don't know. They just interest me; it's like I'm arming myself with knowledge-so, one day, when someone needs my help, I'm as prepared as I can be." Mai punches the air. "I'd like to see Death try to take one of _my_ patients!" She pauses. "And you know why I hide my... _abilities_. I mean, _this_ is on the outskirts of science; many _scientists_ don't even believe there are such things."

The girls slip into the building, not even bothering to keep their voices down, as they'd snuck into the building more times than they could count. "Here," Keiko-chan says, passing both girls a flashlight as they head toward their homeroom.

"I am _sooo_ ready for this!" Mai says brightly as she grins through the beam of her flashlight.

"That's creepy, Mai-chan!" Michiru cries, slapping her arm. Mai pouts in response, but obliges the unspoken command and quits deliberately looking like a lunatic.

"Alright," Mai says seriously. "Since Keiko-chan had to bring the flashlights, I think she should go first." Michiru shrugs in agreement.

"I'm not very good at them! You both know that! I think Mai should go first. Her ghost stories are _legendary_."

"Only because she has prior experience!" Michiru argues. "Unfair, Mai. Unfair," Michiru mock-pouts.

"Fine, Michiru. If my 'prior experience' bothers you so much, you go!"

"I've got an _excellent_ one!" Michiru exclaims. "It took place-guess where?-in the _Old Schoolhouse_." Unconsciously, Mai leans forward in anticipation. "Have you heard about the _curse_ that plagues it?" Both Mai and Keiko shake their heads. "Well, many of people died there. For one, there was a teacher that committed suicide by hanging himself on one of the second floor classrooms." _How horrible_ , Mai thinks, wondering what could lead a person to do such an act. "Later on, the demolition started. There were all kinds of accidents; freak ones."

"Like what?" Mai wonders. "Could it have been from subpar safety conditions on the company's part?"

"You always take these ghost stories too seriously!" Michiru exclaims. "And I was getting

to that! Anyway, because of the accidents, the workers quit going onto the worksite; flat out refused sometimes. The project was therefore abandoned...until just last year, which was when the accidents started _again_. Two separate companies, same accidents. Like, about six months ago, a truck driver lost control one night and accidentally hit a group of students walking home after a club meeting." Mai and Keiko gasp in alarm. "And one morning, well, a girl looked up and saw a person...standing on the second floor, looking down at her as she walked to school." Michiru shuts off her flashlight, grinning wickedly. "Good story, right? Mai, your turn! Try to top _that_."

"I don't know if I can," she admits. "But I'll try." She'd saved this story for this exact occasion, after all. "My _sensei_ told me this story awhile ago. While working for her parents' hospital, she was helping a patient with severe trauma. They didn't think he was going to make it. If you think about the worst injuries someone can sustain and survive, multiply that by ten and that was about the shape he was in. When he finally regained consciousness, which was probably a few days later, more or less. When he woke started _screaming_. When my _sensei_ and several other doctors were able to get him to calm down, he _just pointed_ at the wall across the room. When they were able to get him a piece of paper, he wrote that he had seen what he described as a 'shadow'. He told them that it was evil and wanted him dead. They assured him that there was nothing there, that it must have been a hallucination from the trauma he had received. They assured him that he was safe and that he would be fine. The matter was dropped...until my _sensei_ returned to work the next day. According to her, when she glanced over into his room, she _saw a shadow standing just over his shoulder_. When she put up warding charms, she apparently never saw the shadow again..or at least not in that patient's room. According to what she told me, she'd see it skulking around the building and, to this day, has no idea how it got there. She did exercise it later, thankfully."

"That's beyond creepy, Mai-chan!" Keiko-chan exclaims as Mai shuts off her flashlight. "And you know I don't like it when you use that creepy voice of your's!"

"It's time," Michiru exclaims cheerfully. "One."

"Two," Keiko-chan adds.

"Three," Mai says.

"Four," a disembodied voice adds. The two girls jump, both much too invested in the storytelling-or in Michiru's case, trying to scare her companions-to pay attention to anything outside of their circle. "Gah!" Keiko and Michiru cry, clinging to each other for dear life. Mai struggles to hide a giggle behind her hand. She's not one to scare so easily. Then she glances over at the doorway. Immediately, a frown tugs at her lips

"I'm sorry; did I interrupt?" the boy from earlier today, in the Schoolhouse, asks. Michiru and Keiko both give eager denials, though Keiko-chan's is much more subdued. _What in the world is he doing?_ Mai wonders. Then she realizes. They had been talking about the Old Schoolhouse; he'd been hired to investigate it. _It's exactly what a doctor does when they ask for family history or look through a patient's file; research._ Of course, the story is from word-of-mouth, with its constantly shifting facts and other seemingly unimportant bits of information until it's little more than rubbish.

"What's your name?" Michiru asks.

"Kazuya Shibuya," he answers smoothly, his gaze wandering over to the blackboard. "And yours?"

"My name is Michiru, that's Keiko-chan, and that is Mai-chan. Do you want to join us?" The two lock gazes and Mai resists the urge to stick her tongue out at him. Her mother did raise a polite child, after all. Instead, she forces herself to smile and bites out, "Your investigation must be going well, Shibuya-san."

"What gave you that assumption?" he asks, smiling, as though her thinly disguised dislike of him is amusing.

"I just figured since you're not working right now, Shibuya-san."

"Investigation?" Keiko-chan wonders.

"Working?" Michiru adds. The two glance at each other, then at the two occupants in the room. The tension between the two _was_ pretty obvious, after all.

"Yes." It's Shibuya-san that answers. "I was hired to investigate the Old Schoolhouse. You wouldn't know any other stories linked to it, would any of you?"

"No," Mai answers bluntly. "And I'm sorry, Shibuya-san, but we were actually _just going_." There was something off about him (besides his obvious rudeness); she just couldn't put her finger on it. As she forces her friends out the door, Mai scrutinizes the interloper, as if that would help her figure it out.

Just as the girls exit the building, Mai's phone vibrates.

From: _Sensei_

 _It looks like I've gotten my first job as a part-time_ miko _! Guess where it's at? That building by your school! I think it's called the 'Old Schoolhouse'?_

Mai groans. _Great. Just fantastic._


	4. Gorgonize

Hi! Once again, a huge thank you to anyone who decided to take a peek at my story and/or review/follow/favorite it. Please review; I'd love to hear from you all! And, if you notice something I could fix, feel free to give me _constructive_ criticism. Anything at all (with the exception of rude comments, but I haven't had a problem with that so far!) is welcome.

"NO!" _Mai screams as the car tears down the abandoned street, its headlights practically blinding her. She's not the only one. A silhouette, distinctly outlined in the headlights, freezes. Until-THUD. With a sickening sound that seems to echo down the eerie highway, the person's body is violently jerked from the ground and tossed over the car. Mai can't look away. Limbs askew from the force, it is thrown to the ground with enough force to make him or her bounce off the solid concrete._

Mai jerks awake, shaking, and wipes away the sheen of sweat sticking to her forehead, though it doesn't help her overall clammy skin. "Oh sweet _Kami_ ," she breaths. She thought she was past this; she thought she would stop seeing this _every time she closed her eyes_.

"Mai, honey? Are you alright?" her mother, Someina, asks, knocking lightly on the door. _Pull yourself together!_ she commands herself, closing her eyes and feeling her heartbeat decelerate, resuming its regular, steady tempo.

"I'm fine," Mai calls back, clearing her hoarse throat. "Must've been a nightmare, that's all." She rolls off her _futon_ and throws open her window, desperately needing some air.

"Do you want to talk about it? I have a meeting in an hour, but I can push it back a bit," Someina suggests, her voice muffled by the door.

"That's okay," Mai assures her, studying the street from her second story window. "I don't even remember what it was, anyway."

"Okay." Her mother sounds doubtful; disappointed even. "I'll be home this evening. Don't forget to eat breakfast before you leave! Love you!"

"Love you too," Mai calls back, raking her fingers through her damp, tangled locks. Only when Mai's phone vibrates from its place on her nightstand does she snap out of her daze.

From: _Sensei_

 _Where are you? I'm already parked outside of your house._

 _So today's going to be one of_ those _days_ , Mai thinks as she dashes toward her closet without bothering to waste her time replying. _Now, what to wear…_

Mai manages to get ready in a record five minutes, bypassing breakfast entirely. She dashes down her front steps, disheveled and breathless as she jumps into an obnoxiously bright convertible.

"Hey, Ayako," Mai says as she pulls on her seatbelt. Ayako Matsuzaki deadpans, lowering her large, oversized sunglasses. "How many times do I have to remind you? It. Is. Ayako. _Sensei._ Or _Shishou._ Either way, I deserve more respect, ya'know!" Akako demands as Mai giggles behind her hand.

"Yes, Ayako- _shishou_ ," Mai replies obediently, giggling. "We'd better get going if we want to make it on time."

"You're one to be talking," Ayako mutters darkly. "Now, based on the information your principal gave me, this shouldn't take long. You know the procedure by now, at any rate."

"Yep. 'I humbly ask for your aid. Descend upon this unholy place and make it pure. Exorcise this demon as you have so many before' blah, blah, blah."

" _Don't mock my sacred chant, you idiot!_ " she snaps, flicking Mai on the head. Mai yelps from the pain, rubbing the spot.

"Owwww, Ayako. That'll probably bruise!" she whines, pouting. Though ignoring the teen and keeping her eyes on the road, Ayako rolls her eyes.

"Then _heal it_. Just don't mock that chant!" Mai sighs, slipping back into her more contemplative mood from earlier. After a few moments, Ayako stops the car, throwing it into park. Mai expects her to jump from the car, yelling about how their slight lateness, but instead she takes off her sunglasses and looks at Mai pointedly. "Out with it. What's bothering you?"

"Nothing," Mai lies, looking directly at Ayako and eliminating any reaction, whether natural reflexes or conscious actions, that might give her away. "I'm fine."

"Alright," Ayako says. "I'll _choose_ to believe you. But if something's bothering you, let me know, okay?"

"Of course. Now, let's get this show on the road, yes?"

"What are _they_ doing here?" Ayako demands as she and Mai join the small group gathered in front of the schoolhouse.

"I guess my principal really wants that gym," Mai says lightly, hoping to avoid Ayako's fury, especially since they are now officially involved with a potentially dangerous case.

"Another one?!" exclaims a man from beside Shibuya-san with brown hair that's pulled into a ponytail. Mai can't help but stare for a moment before pulling herself together.

"Yes," Ayako answers before Mai can. "Apparently the principal wasn't convinced you'd be able to handle the job." Before he can vehemently deny this accusation with a barb of his own, Mai interjects.

"What Ayako means is that she wasn't expecting company. My fault," Mai says when she sees the accusation in Shibuya's gaze. "Anyway, my name's Mai and, obviously, this is my-" she hesitates for a moment- "friend, Ayako Matsuzaki. And you are?"

"Takigawa Houshou, or more preferably Bou-san," he introduces himself. _A monk?_ Mai thinks, bewildered. She hopes her expression doesn't give her away. When Shibuya-san simply glances down at the papers in his hand, not bothering to respond, Mai blurts, "And _that_ is Shibuya-san; or should I say a huge narcissist. I had the _great pleasure_ of meeting him yesterday." What? It's not her fault he exhibits some characteristics associated with narcissism. That, and she's curious to see if her nickname would get under his skin. She's disappointed when he simply flips over a page and adds, simply, "You were interrupting my investigation."

"' _Interrupting your-'_ " Mai hisses when her principal greets the group jovially.

"I see you've all become acquainted!" Mai begs to differ but doesn't bother to interrupt. "I just wanted to introduce another spiritualist I've hired; John Brown." Mai can't help but giggle when the newcomer adds, "G'day, Mates." She's not the only one; Ayako and Bou-san too snicker at his accent. "I'm excited to work with you all," he adds, not at all fazed at being laughed at by the locals. Mai can't help but feel that, beneath his young, almost angelic features, there's a resilience to his character. She also supposes that this strength is what spurred her principal to hire him, though Mai's curious to find out his contribution.

"And what is it that you do?" Ayako asks, her tone bordering on harsh. Mai narrows her eyes in irritation. "You're can't be older than him," Ayako adds, gesturing to Shibuya-san, who, Mai decides, deserves the nickname, 'Naru.'

"Actually, I just turned nineteen a few weeks ago. I'm a Catholic minister and have been given permission to perform exorcisms." Immediately, everyone snaps to attention. Even Mai. True, she knew scant about the Catholic religion, but she did know that not everyone was qualified to give exorcisms. Especially not those so young.

"Well," Mai's principal says, breaking the silence, "I suppose I'll leave you all to work. If any of you need anything, I'll just be in my office."

And, with that, he's gone, leaving the newly introduced group in a tense silence.


	5. Comess

Hello! This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but I thought it was a good stopping point. Anyway, as always, a huge thank you to anyone who's read my story to this point and/or reviewed/favorited/commented. If you haven't already, please let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you! And, if you have, please continue to do so! It always makes my day when I see a comment. Once again, I don't own _Ghost Hunt_.

"Why are there children investigating?" Ayako mutters, as she and Mai stand outside the structure while the rest of the group files inside.

"You should be well aware that age does not dictate one's ability," Mai says quietly, watching as a breeze sways the branches of trees in the schoolyard. "Did you see the equipment he had? Or his files, filled with research? He's obviously wealthy, or at least comes from money. _Or_ has a huge financial backer. Either way, he must be a prodigy of some kind or something." Ayako glances over at the prodigy standing next to her and asks, "How do you figure?"

"He owns a company, or at least claims to. My principal hired him, and _Kouchou-sensei_ isn't a dumb man. This leads me to believe that he must've already graduated, or is at least taking alternative courses, which is less likely. He must have _some_ credentials."

"Did you just come up with this on the spot or…? Because you did mention meeting him before." Mai debates mentioning the feeling she gets around him, as though he's abuzz with potential energy. Then she dismisses it entirely. If she doesn't understand it herself, how can she expect Ayako to? Though, after their meeting today, Mai can say for sure that it wasn't her imagination.

"Yes, yesterday. He got all irritated at me for interrupting his precious investigation." Mai can't help but grin at the irony. "When Michiru-chan, Keiko-chan, and I were telling ghost stories, the 'Old Schoolhouse' was mentioned. I was curious-" Ayako snorts, as this is one of Mai's more... _prominent_ characteristics, "-so I decided to check it out. I saw a camera and went inside to figure out how it got there; I found out a short while later that it was Naru's."

"That nickname suits him," Ayako says, making a face at the thought of the 'prodigy.'

"I know-"

"Are you getting slow in your old age?" Bou-san shouts from the doorway. "We're waiting for you to join us but we might be long gone by the time you make it over here!"

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Ayako demands, throwing her arms up. "Just wait till I get my hands on you, you-!" Mai grabs Ayako's arm, causing Ayako to pause, sighing, before glancing over at her protege. "That wasn't necessary; you need to save your energy."

"I know. Now, let's go. Apparently, they're 'waiting for us'?" Mai releases Ayako's arm and, together, they step through the doorway. Already, Mai itches to grab the first aid pack in her bag, in order to assure herself that anything they could possibly need is securely inside. Instead, she follows Bou-san and Ayako to a room that had apparently been designated as the nerve center of the investigation. Mai notices the astounding amount of screens in the room just as Bou-san does, the latter of which let's out a low whistle at the display of equipment.

"This isn't how you exorcise spirits, Kid," he says, addressing Naru. Ayako smirks in agreement. "You might as well put away your shiny toys and let the adults handle this."

"What, exactly, can you do?" Bou-san asks, causing Ayako to gasp in outrage at the implicit accusation.

"I am a shrine maiden, of course," she answers, pride coloring her tone. Some might think Ayako to be snobbish, and there were times when she definitely _could_ be, but Mai knew better.

"I thought shrine maidens were innocent virgins," Naru comments, causing Ayako to blush (in fury) and clench her jaw.

"Your point?" she snaps, almost forcibly keeping her voice down. Mai appreciates the gesture.

"I'd say that you're at least looking a little old to be a shrine maiden." Inwardly, Mai sighs, wondering how both he and Bou-san manage to hit one of Ayako's most acute insecurities.

"She's only in her twenties," Mai points out, hoping to defend her teacher. "If you think that's old, then you need to get your head checked." She is promptly ignored when Bou-san adds, "Practically middle aged!" Then, of course, Ayako's composure (what little she had, anyway) cracks, causing her to smack the monk on the back of the head. "Now," she says happily as he rubs his head, not unlike Mai this morning, "let's get started, shall we?"

"'We'?" Naru asks, frowning. "I never agreed to work with any of you." Then he turns around to face his precious screens, promptly ignoring the others.

"I think it would be a good idea for all of us to work together," John adds timidly. "Then we can all use our strengths and balance each other out."

"If my theory is correct," Naru says, still not facing the group, "then working together won't be necessary."

"Well, until then," Mai pipes up, not about to take no for an answer, "we work together. There's safety in numbers, right?" Surprisingly, no one-not even Naru-argues with Mai. Secretly, Mai wonders if it's because they want to test the others, to see who would actually rid the building of the spirits: the unconventional monk, the fiery _miko_ , the young priest, or the technology savvy researcher? _Competition is known to yield positive results, right?_


	6. Sagacity

Hello! Thanks for all of the support on my story :) If you'd like, please let me know what you think! And happy holidays! I, of course, do not own _Ghost Hunt_.

 _Wrong. So,_ so _wrong._ Especially with the appearance of _Masako-san._ Mai didn't know that people actually wore _kimonos_ on a daily basis. Or that someone could give so many barbed remarks that may or may not be back-handed compliments. Mai knows immediately that she and this girl won't get along. Based on Ayako's temper, Mai knows she's not alone in coming to this conclusion. Even the easy-going Bou-san seems a bit put off, though she suspects that this won't last for long.

"There are _no_ spirits in this building," Masako murmurs for the _nth_ time, much to the irritation of both the Monk and Shrine Maiden.

" _How_ can you say that there's no spirits here!?" Bou-san snaps, crossing his arms. "It's so _obvious_ based on the amount of activity occurring in this building!"

"How do we even know that you're an actual medium and not an actress?" Ayako asks, her arms crossed, as she faces Masako. "For all we know, your show is nothing but a hoax! A production of special effects or something." She narrows her gaze as she scrutinizes the young medium.

"Hey, now…" John says, awkwardly attempting to placate the group. Before anyone can get at each other's (metaphorical) throats, Naru clears his. Immediately, the room's attention is on him. Mai wishes she could defuse an argument and gain the attention of a group so easily.

"Mediums, especially females, are known to either be wholly correct or miss the mark completely. Until I receive the results to my suspicions, the best alternate solution would be to purify the building-thus driving out anything that may be lurking here or at the very least pacifying our client. Any childish complaints you wish to bring to our collective awareness?" Mai doesn't notice that he looks pointedly at the "adults" present at the investigation, causing her to giggle. She tries to disguise it behind a pitiful cough and receives a savage glare from her mentor.

"Fine," Ayako sniffs. "Then I'll perform the cleansing; that'll drive out _whatever's_ here." And with that, Ayako sashays out of the building without so much as a second look. Mai blinks, unsure of what to do with herself.

"Must be the old age," Bou-san says the moment she's out of hearing range. Mai presses her lips together and tries to stop her muscles from spasming (without any _help_ ) and fails miserably. A giggle escapes before Mai manages to flee the room in order to help her teacher.

Mai spends at _least_ twenty minutes making sure the altar is perfectly set up for Ayako, though not without grumbling, and notices immediately an addition to their group. Without a word to any of the others, a man walks over to Naru and hands him a file before taking a seat in front of a computer and putting on headphones. _Well that's that_ , Mai thinks, a bit crestfallen at not being able to ask him questions about his presence. _Though if he's this comfortable with Naru, who is the owner of SPR...another researcher, perhaps?_ It takes another fifteen for Ayako to be perfectly presentable for the ceremony, which Mai's _Kouchou-sensei_ and _Kyoutou-sensei_ attend, eager to be rid of whatever 'curse' plagues this building. Ayako begins her ritual with the rest of the group standing in an imperfect half circle behind her.

"I humbly ask for your aid. Descend upon this unholy place and make it pure. Exorcise this demon as you have so many before…" Mai observes the group, watching for any resistance on the spirit's part in the environment around them. A cool sensation, perhaps. Items shifting before flying from their places around the room. Anything that could be a threat to those present. When nothing-not even a cold spell-occurs, Mai can't help but have her doubts. _Too easy_ , she thinks, as she's been present for many of Ayako's ceremonies and none of them were this simple.

 _CRACK._

" _Duck!"_ Mai screams, knowing she wouldn't be able to move quick enough to soften the blow. The two closest to the entrance-her principal and vice principal-manage to cover their faces before the glass windows on the entrance shatter inward.

"Still don't believe there are any spirits now?" Bou-san growls as Ayako rushes over to the men's aid. It takes all of Mai's willpower not to do the same. If the injuries were more than superficial scratches, she would've. Instead, she passes Ayako her first aid pack and watches, wringing her hands together.

"There still isn't a spiritual presence," Masako murmurs, sounding almost puzzled, glancing over at Naru.

"Agreed. This has nothing to do with the spiritual realm," Naru answers, his gaze on the windows. The group watches quietly, everyone lost in their own thoughts, as Ayako disinfects and bandages the faculty members' injuries.

"So you'll drive out whatever's here, huh?

"Oh, shut up, Monk."


	7. Eloquence

Hello! Thanks for checking out my story and/or supporting it by following, favoriting, and/or reviewing. Please continue to do so! Any response to my story makes my day!

M.C.

After finally reaching her breaking point of listening to Bou-san and Ayako bickering, Mai turns to Naru, asking, "What's your conclusion? If there's no spirits haunting this building, what's going on?"

"Land subsidence," Naru answers matter-of-factly. "According to my research, which Lin-my assistant-was gathering proves it."

"How does that explain the windows breaking!?" Bou-san demands.

"What's beneath the school, then?" Mai wonders.

"A dried up well," Naru answers, ignoring Bou-san completely. Mai frowns, thinking of all

the peculiar incidences…

"And the stories that surround this building?" Mai asks. "Surely those can't all be attributed to land subsidence or storytelling?"

"While it is true that a teacher committed suicide in the building, there is nothing to suggest that the accidents that occurred to workers was anything more than negligence and subsidence of the land below the building."

"Correlation doesn't always equal causation," Mai murmurs, thinking of what Ayako had taught her. _Just because the presentation of symptoms occurred around the same does not mean they're connected, though it certainly doesn't mean that they aren't, either. Simply put, explore all options and listen to what the patient is telling you. They know their body more than even the most experienced doctors...except you, maybe._

"Exactly," Naru answers, causing Mai to jump. She honestly hadn't expected anyone to hear her. "As such, this case is solved."

"You cannot be serious!" Ayako hisses with Bou-san (for once) nodding in agreement.

"As Shibuya-san said, there is _no_ evidence to support your ridiculous belief," Masako sniffs, "which would be why I don't sense anything."

"I need to get going," Mai informs Ayako before the latter can verbally retaliate. "I have to grocery shop. I'll see ya tomorrow; same time, right?"

"Yes. Text me when you make it home!" Mai nods and waves goodbye to the rest. She doesn't escape wholly unscathed, however. Bou-san manages to trap her in a crushing hug that takes the breath out of her lungs for a moment before she's released.

"It was nice to meet you, John-san," Mai says, smiling brightly.

"It was nice to meet you, too, Mai-san," he answers, returning her smile with one of his own. With a final wave, Mai's out the door and headed toward the store. She pulls out her list, scanning through the items written there, making sure she didn't forget anything earlier.

"What were you doing in the Schoolhouse?" a voice demands, causing Mai to jerk her head up.

" _Kuroda?!"_ Mai blurts. "What are you doing here?"

"I asked first; what were you doing in there?" the girl demands, crossing her arms, not about to budge on the subject.

"My _sensei_ and some others are investigating the building," Mai answers, studying the girl quizzically.

"I can help," she proclaims. "I _am_ psychic, after all. And there _are_ spirits in the building."

"It's land subsidence," Mai answers. _Well, maybe._ "So your help isn't necessary; thank you for the offer, though."

"The Old Schoolhouse is _haunted_ ; I swear it is!" Kuroda says icily. Her hands clench into fists. "I've seen spirits from the War in the windows; I think it was a hospital in the War."

"Really?" Mai asks. "Can you describe them to me? For the case?"

"There was a man. He was wearing a uniform; it was dark green in color, with big buttons that had a flower and anchor engraved on them. He also had a soiled bandage wrapped around his head."

"You're lying," Mai says softly. It's not an accusation; merely an observation.

"I. Am. _Not_ ," she hisses. "There _are_ spirits in there!"

"And you would've been able to see what was _engraved_ on a spirit's coat button?" Mai asks incredulously. "Not to mention your body language speaks for itself! You haven't been able to look me in the eye during this whole exchange and I can see how quick your pulse is. If you want me to believe in your abilities, you need to stop lying to me!"

"You-you believe me?" she asks softly, surprised.

"Of course," Mai answers, "when you're not over exaggerating your experiences!" Mai steps closer to the girl. "Kuroda, if you want people to believe you, you need to tell the truth _all the time_. No exaggerations; no made up stories; no faking. That's the only way to get people to believe you, if they even do at all. Not everyone can wrap their head around _this_ , whatever it is. And it's not your job to make them see, Kuroda."

"What if my… _powers_ don't come?" she asks, sounding almost tearful. Mai had never seen the girl so... _anguished_. Or anything besides confident, irritated, or, well, spiteful.

"Once again, it's _not_ your job to convince them of your abilities. If they're your friends, they may not believe in such things, but they'll accept them as part of you. If they're not, then who cares?" Mai shrugs. "Because _I_ certainly don't." Like Kuroda, Mai, too, had to learn the hard way.

"Do you have abilities too?" Kuroda asks curiously. Mai itches to deny it; she is an exceptionally good liar in the rare times she needs to be. But Mai knows Kuroda needs someone like her-yet different. Unique like her, that is.

"Yes," Mai admits. "Though not a lot of people know about them _and I'd like to keep it that way._ " Kuroda nods and smiles.

"Since...ah, you know…I just...I have seen some things in the building. Stuff moving. Like, floating. No figures, though."

"Thank you," Mai says brightly. "Why don't you come by tomorrow and tell us what you've seen? Here, if you want to let me see your phone for a second, I can add my number into your contacts."

"Oh...yeah. Yeah! Sure," she stammers, clumsily pulling her phone from her pocket.

"And...there! I'll see you later then." Mai beams. She'd been hoping this conversation would happen for quite some time, though was unsure of how to go about _doing_ it.

"Thank you," Kuroda says, seemingly back to her usual composed self, though Mai hopes that she'll be less distant toward others. Or at least stop her fictitious storytelling. If telling her secret helps her move forward, Mai decides, it was worth it.


	8. Solitude

Hey! Thanks for supporting my story by reading it and/or favoriting, following, and/or reviewing. Please continue to do so! Any response makes my day, though I'd love to hear from you! While I did forget my disclaimer in the last chapter, I still don't own _Ghost Hunt_. (Note: it's really short and mainly dialogue but I thought it was good insight into Mai's life.)

Mai grumbles to herself as she balances her bags of groceries and fumbles for her house key. " _There!_ " Mai unlocks the door and flicks on the light, thinking of the dinner she plans to cook. When she sees the scrap of paper lying on the counter, however, her heart sinks.

 _Will be back late. Love you, Mom._

She sighs, then starts to put items away in the cabinets, save the ingredients she needs, before texting Ayako that she made it home. Already noticing the silence creeping in, Mai turns on the radio and sings along softly to the music as she prepares the fish she intends to bake. After she places it into the oven, she focuses her attention on making homemade miso soup and steamed rice. She's careful to follow the instructions she'd found in the back of the closet a week or so ago, along with other recipes her grandmother had made before she passed away years before Mai's birth. She's so focused on her task, in fact, that when her phone goes off, she jumps about two feet into the air and only just manages not to splatter soup everywhere. She huffs in annoyance and answers the phone, trying not to let it show in her tone.

"Hello?" she asks, adding tofu to her soup and lowering the temperature of the burner as

she cradles the phone to her ear.

"Are you okay?" the voice asks. Mai sighs. "I'm fine, Ayako. How's the investigation?"

"Irritating," the _miko_ replies. "This was _not_ how I envisioned my first case."

"I thought it was kind of fun," she admits. "They seem...nice."

"'Eccentric,' yes. 'Nice' is debatable." Mai giggles. Chatting with Ayako was exactly what she needed.

"And we're not eccentric."

"Not at all," she says airily. "Why would you think otherwise?"

"Well, it's not like you quit your job at the hospital and became a _miko_ part-time...and whatever else it is that you do."

"You mean teaching a sassy teenager medicine?"

"How _do_ you pay the bills?" Mai asks, half joking and half serious. She had been wondering about this for quite some time.

"My parents agreed to give me some time to 'discover myself' or something. Honestly, I don't think they care what I do as long as I'm planning on returning to medicine in the near-distant future. In their minds, I'm in a late rebellious phase or something equally pretentious."

"Does teaching a 'sassy teenager' count?" Mai asks as she puts the final touches on her soup, before ladling some into a bowl.

"Actually, I have mentioned you to them."

" _Really?_ " she demands as she places her bowls onto the table. "And why have I not heard about this until now?!"

"They want to meet you. How they can approve of you with the few details I've mentioned is beyond me."

"So they don't know about _that_?"

"Not at all," Ayako assures her. "They probably wouldn't believe me even if I did."

"That's a shame," Mai murmurs, expertly retrieving the fish from the oven.

"You're telling me," Ayako replies, exasperated. Mai has a feeling she's 'preaching to the choir.' "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. We're moving onto your next lesson once we finish the case, I think."

"Really?" Mai grins.

"I think you're ready," Ayako assures her. "I'll rent the study room at the public library for Wednesday night at six."

"Perfect," Mai replies, making a mental note to write it down in her planner. "Do you want to come over for dinner? I made plenty."

"I'm eating dinner with my parents. Unfortunately." Mai can imagine her eye roll. "Otherwise I would."

"You never know what you have until they're gone," Mai murmurs. "They love you enough to let you pursue your dream, even if they don't necessarily agree with it. Not every parent would do that."

Ayako sighs. "You're right; I know you're right. And one day I will be able to move past it...today's just not that day."

"Okay," Mai replies, letting the subject drop. "How's the investigation going in my absence?"

"Naru thinks he has the whole damn thing solved," she growls, "and I'm not saying that I _don't_ disagree with his theory; I just _really, really_ don't want him to be right."

"Well, what I'm about to tell you may make your day then. A witness-my classmate-told me that she had seen movement in the building; no apparitions, though," she says, anticipating Ayako's next question. "She said things were floating. Land subsidence certainly doesn't do that."

"Excellent!" Ayako shrieks. "That is _seriously_ the best thing that's happened today!"

"She told me she'd come by tomorrow to give her story to the group. We can decide how to move forward then, I think."

"When did my cute little student get so smart?" Ayako asks. Mai laughs. "Don't worry. She still has a long way to go." Ayako and Mai say their goodbyes shortly thereafter and Mai tries to ignore that feeling of loneliness that's slowly creeping in, though the yummy food certainly helps. Once she's finished, she washes the dishes and carefully puts a meal together before putting it into the refrigerator. On the counter, she writes a note below her mother's.

 _Food's in the fridge. Hope you had a good day at work. Love you, your favorite child._


	9. Enigma

A huge 'thank you' to you lovely readers/followers/favoriters. Seriously! Thank you! ((In addition, I wanted to specifically say thank you to .589, Guest (whoever you may be!), sleonard, CrystalVixen93, and Cepheia for telling me your thoughts and giving me encouragement!)) If you haven't reviewed, please do. I'd love to hear from you! And before I continue on with the story (forgive me for my huge note), I just wanted to let you all know that I plan to finish this story. If I don't update, unless I mention otherwise, it's just because school and life in general has been hectic! In fact, I certainly have a few ideas of where I'm taking my story. If you want (HUGE) spoilers, check out the other story (if you can call it that), titled Unknown. Literally. Because I didn't have a title in mind.

Edit: I apologize, Angela. For whatever reason, whenever I save the document, it won't keep your username. But thank you for your support nonetheless!

All the best,

M.C.

 _Chapter 9_

"'Land subsidence' doesn't cause objects to float, Narcissist," Mai growls, finally lashing out at the source of her irritation. "I talked to a witness; she said that she'd seen stuff floating. While I won't argue that this building is sinking-we know that's a fact, based on your research-I would argue that there is something paranormal here."

"And where, exactly, is this 'witness'?" Masako asks pointedly, her expression hidden behind her sleeve.

"I don't think I like what you're suggesting," Mai hisses, eyes narrowed. John eyes the two girls wearily, as though debating whether or not to step in between them.

"And what would that be?" Masako asks softly, causing Mai to audibly grit her teeth together.

"If you're both finished with this nonsense, I'd like to continue with this investigation," Naru cuts in before the situation has the opportunity to escalate. "Mai, when will this witness be available to discuss what she's seen?"

"Sometime this morning," Mai replies dutifully, eyeing the medium disdainfully. "She didn't go into much detail about the experiences, though she did mention that she hadn't seen any figures or anything like that."

"That's because there _aren't_ any spirits here," Masako says testily. Mai nearly smirks at the frustration in her tone. _Trying to show off to Naru probably does that to a person._ After being around the Narcissist, Mai's come to realize that there's only one person who can impress him-and that would be himself. Her gaze returns to the book in her hands, cursing Ayako and Bou-san for abandoning her. They'd left under the guise of looking around the building about half an hour ago. Mai couldn't blame them, though. Not really.

"I'm surprised you know how to read, Mai," Naru says mildly, as though commenting on

the weather and _not_ insulting her. "Though I can't say much for taste." Mai could have ignored that. She could have been the bigger person and kept her gaze fixed on her book, bitten the inside of her cheek to keep herself from letting him know he'd 'gotten her back up.' But it's Masako's subsequential giggles that throw her over the edge.

"Yes, that's right," Mai says triumphantly, throwing him a smug grin. "I _do_ know how to read kanji. I'm glad one of us can." Naru raises an eyebrow at her accusation, not at all liking her superior tone.

"What makes you think I cannot read kanji?" he asks evenly. Their gazes lock in a silent battle of wills and Mai knows she's stepped too far. Losing this... _whatever_ it is, though a bruise on her esteem, is nothing in comparison to keeping her abilities under wraps. This wouldn't be the first, or last, time she has to shelve her pride in order to do so.

"Your documents are in English," Mai says with a shrug, "It doesn't take much to put two and two together. Even us mortals have the ability to do so." She hopes that answer satisfies him enough to leave it at that-she doesn't want him to be suspicious of her, even if it's for something as minor as her observational skills. She has an image to adhere to, after all, of a sixteen-year-old underachiever with the tendency to put socializing ahead of schoolwork. The average teenager, in other words.

"Hello?" a voice calls, interrupting their...argument? Mai's not sure, though Kuroda's presence is certainly relieving.

"In here!" Mai calls, snapping her book shut and placing it into her bag. "How are you?" she asks when her classmate steps through the doorway, looking back to her usual self and not the upset, almost fragile girl from the day before.

"Fine," she says simply. _Yep, definitely back to her usual self, one word answers and all._ "...How are you?" Now _that's_ a bit of a surprise.

"Great!" Mai grins, thrilled to see that she's at least trying. It's a step in the right direction. "Kuroda, this is Naru, Masako, and the one at the computer ignoring all of us is Lin. I know you can hear me!" No response. Mai rolls her eyes. "Everyone, this is Kuroda."

"You've seen objects floating?" That's Naru for you; getting right down to business without bothering to say pleasantries. _Rude_ , Mai huffs inwardly.

"Yes," she answers, fidgeting under the group's heavy scrutiny. She clears her throat and straightens, "I have."

"And?" Naru asks pointedly.

"Naru!" Mai shouts. He glares at her reproachfully but doesn't bother to argue and instead retrieves his black book to take notes. "What Naru _meant_ to say was what happened? When did this occur?"

"It started about six months ago, probably." Mai manages to coax more detailed information from her classmate from what she can remember about the individual incidences, about where they occurred in the building specifically, what objects were moved, and so on until Naru finally snaps his book shut.

"Thank you, Kuroda-san. You can go now," he says bluntly.

"Naru!" Mai snaps again before turning to her new friend apologetically. "We really do appreciate your help, Kuroda. If you'd like, I can text you if anything out of the ordinary happens. I know you want to figure it out as much as the rest of us. Right now, though, the case seems pretty stagnant."

"Yes, that would be great," she says coolly, though Mai doesn't take offense; she and Masako had been barely maintaining an icy civility to each other and, honestly, getting the two of them away from each other would probably increase the temperature in the room. Mai waves goodbye and turns to the face the others.

"I don't trust her," Masako mutters. Mai, eagerly awaiting the group's verdict, bites her bottom lip and turns to Naru.

"This is something I will need to study further," he says neutrally.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to give an exorcism of the building a shot," John suggests timidly. "Even if there aren't any spirits, this may at least help rid the building of the possibility of phenomena developing."

"Do what you like," Naru says, turning to face the monitors. Even so, Mai notices the slight tension in his shoulders, the tight grip on his notebook. _He's considering Kuroda's claims,_ she thinks, relieved. _Good to know he won't simply take Masako's word on the matter._ Though he may be a narcissist, this solidifies her theory that he's a prodigy with credentials of some sort, given his drive to consider every piece of evidence, even when it goes against his conclusions. In addition, of course, to his position, obvious financial backing, and subordinate.


	10. Cacoethes

First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this far into my story and/or followed/favorited/commented. I hadn't meant to wait so long in posting chapter 10 but life has a tendency to get hectic and I had a bit of writer's block (you'll have to let me know what you think of it nonetheless, yes?). And, just out of curiosity, I was wondering if any of you have taken the time to check out the meanings of my chapters. When I finish and go back to edit and revise, I plan to include the definitions before the chapters. Finally, I, of course, do not own Ghost Hunt.

 _Chapter 10_

Mai stares intently at one of Naru's numerous screens, having never witnessed a Catholic exorcism before.

"What's that?" she murmurs, her finger hovering over a spot on the screen; a bottle of some sort, she thinks. He appears to be splashing the room with liquid.

"Holy water," Naru answers. To clarify, he adds, "Or water that's been blessed by a member of, in this case, the Catholic church. It's commonly utilized in cleansings." Mai hums in acknowledgement.

"In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God..."

As she watches John, she notices something _off_. It takes her a moment to realize; the ceiling is warping. She jerks herself to her feet and is out the door in mere moments.

"Mai!" Ayako calls after her to no avail. The girl sprints up the creaky stairs, barely managing at times to remain upright, and throws herself through the doorway.

"John! The ceiling's collapsing! _Get out of the way!_ " Just as she takes a step through the doorway, the ceiling gives, causing dirt and dust to billow outward, hiding him from her view. " _John!_ " she yelps. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he wheezes, coughing. The dirt and dust blanket him, sticking to his black ceremonial robes. She sighs, placing a hand to her chest before finally dissolving into giggles. It takes only a moment before he joins in. "You nearly scared me to death," Mai admits, leaning against the doorway.

"Thank you for the warning," John replies. "That could have ended up very differently had you not acted so quickly."

"That's-" _my job_ , she nearly blurts, catching herself just in time, "-no problem. I'm just happy that you're okay. But maybe Ayako should take a look at you just in case?"

"I'm fine, Taniyama-san, thanks to you." Warmth blossoms in the girl's chest, almost heady with its intensity; it's not very often she is thanked in such a manner. More than that, though, is seeing him, unhurt, because of her warning. _That_ is the biggest reward for her involvement.

"Okay," Mai answers, even as she eyes him critically. "Let's rejoin the others then."

Mai has had _enough_. Enough waiting around while Bou-san takes his turn attempting to rid the building of whatever lies here. Enough blatant and veiled insults. Enough egos to match the size of the building. _Enough_.

"I'm going on a walk," Mai says and, in the heat of her frustration, forgets that she's in a potentially dangerous building. If it's not the supposed ghost(s?), there's always the weak building structure. She steps from the room before much can be said besides Ayako's cry of, " _Be careful!_ " already itching to explore. It's that same feeling that spurred her to first start telling ghost stories with Michiru and Keiko, that caused her to take a peek inside this very building when she had been giving it a wide berth; the thrill of the unknown.

Soon, Mai finds herself facing a decrepit stairwell that descends into what could only be the basement.

"Creepy," she mutters, hesitantly taking a few steps downward, as though waiting for something to get thrown her way. _Or for a potentially weakened stair to collapse under my weight_ , Mai thinks idly. Thankfully, she makes it down in one piece, questioning why she decided to come down here in the first place. The silence is almost eerie in its intensity. Mai's steps seem to echo in the chilled, darkened basement. Dimmed metal lights hanging from the ceiling cast enough light to see by, though not much. Mai makes her way farther into the basement, her steps measured.

"Mai?" Said girl jerks away from the whispered voice, whipping around with incredible speed.

" _John?!_ " she cries out, irritated with her irrationally fearful behavior. _Michiru would be in hysterics_. "What are you _doing_ down here?"

"I'm sorry," he says guiltily. "I didn't mean to scare you."

" _You_ didn't. This basement's just creepy."

"Agreed, Mai-chan," Monk adds, apparently finished with the latest attempt at exorcising the building, as he makes his way over to us, with Ayako in tow. "Now, down to business."

"'Business'?" Mai asks.

"Of proving Naru wrong," he answers flatly. Mai very nearly rolls her eyes at the pettiness of the situation.

"While I'm all for proving him wrong, his theory has evidence supporting it," Ayako says. "The only evidence for something paranormal is Kuroda's account...and she's been known to exaggerate and blatantly lie, isn't she, Mai? That's the classmate you told me about."

"Admittedly, yes," Mai says. "But-"

"Point proven," Ayako mutters.

"She wasn't lying!" her pupil exclaims. "I'd be able to tell, remember?"

"How?" Bou-san interrupts. "There's no absolute way to tell if someone is lying; maybe she's adept at hiding her tells." Mai's expression darkens. Anger replaces her former fear.

"I know you can," Ayako says, ignoring Bou-san in favor of her student. "But maybe she just _thought_ she'd seen objects floating?"

"No. You weren't there-"

"Mai. She's been known to tell half-truths. That is fact; you've admitted it yourself."

"But-"

Just then, knocking pounds the walls, a cacophony of sound. Mai's eyes widen at the sheer decibel of the noise.

"Knocking sounds," John utters in surprise. "A sign of a poltergeist."

"Upstairs!" Bou-san commands. "Now!" He takes the lead with John following. For a moment, Mai cannot move; she's never heard anything so... _violent._ She sheer intensity of the knocking is astounding. "Mai, c'mon!" Ayako takes her hand in a firm grip before dashing toward the stairs. Just before the stairs, however, Mai notices that the bookcase seems to be wobbling. In that moment, she releases her mentor's hand, allowing her to rush past the heavy piece of furniture. Mai, being a step behind, is not so lucky. She only has time to shield herself with her arms before darkness overtakes her.


	11. Ebullience

_Chapter 11_

Sorry this took so long! A huge thank you to everyone who favorited/followed and/or reviewed my story!

Ebullience: the quality of being cheerful and full of energy; exuberance

Slowly, the light invades Mai's senses, along with the rough, scratchy, lumpy surface below her. Then, the sound of voices. Everything seems slow, blurry. A sharp pain radiates from her skull.

"Water," Mai croaks.

"Here," Ayako says, placing her arm behind Mai's shoulders and assisting her in sitting up. For a moment, the room seems to spin. She places a glass to her lips, tipping it up. Mai takes a few sips, muttering a quick, "thank you." Quickly, Ayako points a flashlight at her eyes, which is _not_ helping the headache, and asks her to point where the worst of the pain is. Mai obliges, flinching when Ayako inspects the injury.

"How are you feeling, Mai?" Bou-san asks, surprisingly gentle. Said girl smiles weakly, already feeling the pull on her eyelids.

"Tired," Mai murmurs softly.

"Sleep, Mai. I'll wake you when we leave," Ayako assures her.

" _WHAT?!_ " Bou-san demands. "YOU CAN'T LET HER SLEEP; SHE HAS A CONCUSSION!"

"Having fatigue after a brain injury is completely normal!" Ayako hisses.

That's the last thing she remembers.

"How are you feeling, Mai? You gave us quite the scare," John says, smiling gently. Ayako checks her pupils _again_ before nodding in knowing satisfaction. The injury is perfectly healed, her dizziness and pain gone.

"Better," she assures him, pulling herself up into a sitting position, this time without Ayako's help. "How's the case coming along?"

"Naru seems to think that he has it solved. _Again_."

"What's the theory this time?" Mai asks curiously.

"Won't say," Ayako growls. "But at least he finally realized it _isn't_ land subsidence." Mai nods, frowning. She hopes this case will get over soon; she wants to know what's at the bottom of all the mysteries and is aware that she's not experienced enough to figure it out on her own. Something Naru loves pointing out.

"How long was I unconscious?" she asks no one in particular. Unsurprisingly, her mentor is the one who answers. "A couple minutes; not long. Your pupils were responsive to my penlight, you seemed to understand the situation at hand, though I'm guessing there was dizziness, and a headache?" Mai nods. "Obvious fatigue-"

"So, as expected, then." Mai nods. She knew as much; her PK-LT assures such self-awareness.

"Yes," Ayako agrees, studying her protege. "You fell asleep for a couple hours, though I'm surprised _this_ idiot," she gestures to Bou-san, "didn't wake you." As the two start bickering, as usual, Mai finds her thoughts returning to the basement.

"Hey, Naru?" she asks, looking over at the researcher, who stands next to Lin-san at the monitors. "Is there a heat source downstairs? A boiler room or something?"

"The basement is about sixteen degrees Celsius. What do _you_ think, Mai?" She bristles, glaring.

"Sorry, _Narcissist_. I was just _wondering_ since the bookshelf was warm." She frowns thoughtfully.

"Do you remember what the cause of the knocking sound was, Mai?"

"Uh-you mentioned a...poltergeist! Yes, that was it."

"'Poltergeist' is German for 'noisy ghost'," John explains. "They occur when objects are manipulated by supernatural beings."

"As you noticed with the bookshelf," Naru says, turning to face the group. "It also produces heat when an object is manipulated by such an entity."

"Huh," Mai murmurs. "Well, now we know that there _is_ something paranormal going on-and have evidence to prove it," she says brightly. Bou-san shakes his head, muttering to himself.

"On that note," Ayako says, "I'm going to take Mai home."

"But-" Mai protests.

"No," Ayako says staunchly. "You're going home; a head injury is enough for one day." Mai opens her mouth to argue, but, seeing Ayako's smirk, snaps her mouth shut and glares fiercely instead.

"Fine," she grumbles.


	12. Altruism

Hello! Once again, a huge thank you to everyone that favorited, followed, reviewed and/or read my story. You guys are awesome! :D

 _Chapter 12_

Altruism: unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others

* * *

"Your PK didn't immediately rush to heal your injuries," Ayako notes, eyes flicking over to Mai.

"No," she agrees, then, meeting Ayako's gaze, sharply asks, "Would you _please_ keep your eyes on the road?"

"I am," Ayako responds evenly, her placating tone at odds with her tight grip on the steering wheel.

"I didn't," Mai pauses. "My concussion was minor; it hurt, yes, but it wasn't life-threatening, nor was it extreme enough to cause neurological damage. The knocking was still pounding on the walls and I didn't know if...another shelf would fall or if one of those stairs would break, or…"

"You reserved your PK energy in order to heal us," Ayako says thoughtfully.

"It all happened very fast," Mai murmurs with a shrug, glancing out the window, but Ayako seems to be wrapped up in her own thoughts.

"Of course, I had wondered what would occur when your two impulses were pitted against one another. I can't say I'm surprised, either." Mai, too, finds this occurrence interesting in a detached, medical sort of standpoint. She's one step closer to discovering not only her healing potential but being able to put into words the processes and other aspects of the human anatomy she senses but doesn't completely understand. She doubts she ever will. "Get some rest tonight, Mai," Ayako commands. "Between a head injury, healing, and the huge breakthrough in proving Naru wrong about the case, you need it."

Feeling restless, her thoughts refuse to yield even to her exhaustion. Finally having had enough, Mai mimics the processes of falling asleep: a flood of melatonin, decreased heart rate, though the primary action takes place in the brain. Had anyone asked Mai what, exactly, she did to make herself fall asleep, she wouldn't have been able to answer them. Not completely, anyway. After a indiscernible amount of time, she finally forces the desired response: falling into a deep haze of sleep. Her body, at this point, doesn't require any more encouragement. For once, there are no get-togethers with her tight circle of friends, no work needing to be done, and no nightmares. Mai falls blissfully and deeply into unconsciousness.

* * *

Mai smiles softly, filled with a deep sense of peace as she walks toward her school building in the cool morning air. "Good morning!" Mai exclaims in a sing-song voice.

"Good morning, Mai-chan. Cheerful as usual, I see!" an upperclassman greets with a broad grin.

"Of course, Akihiko- _senpai_ ," Mai responds, waving goodbye as she passes by and making a beeline for her classroom.

"Mai!" Keiko greets. "How was your weekend?"

"Ayako had a case," Mai responds cheerfully, setting down her bag and plopping down into her seat.

"Anything story worthy?" Michiru asks, resting her head on her folded arms.

"Eh." Mai shrugs. "I did get hit by a bookshelf, which is nothing unusual, actually." Both Michiru and Keiko stare at her in alarm. "I feel the same way each time I have to read _Sensei's_ assigned readings."

"You're joking, right?" Michiru asks, sitting up. "Please tell me you're joking."

"Oh, no. Reading is terrible." Mai heaves a sigh.

" _Mai!_ " the two girls exclaim, drawing the attention of the room. Keiko blushes, glancing out the window while Michiru calls out, "What? Nothing to see here."

"I'm fine," Mai assures them once their classmates resume their previous conversations within their relative cliques. "It was just a little mishap. Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Mai-" Keiko begins.

"Mai Taniyama and Kuroda Naoko," the school's secretary drones over the intercom. "Please come to the principal's office. Mai Taniyama and Kuroda Naoko, please come to the principal's office. Thank you." Mai frowns, puzzled.

"I'll be right back," Mai says, getting to her feet and hurriedly grabbing her things while her two friends share a confused glance. "I dunno, either," she adds, answering their unasked question.

When Mai steps into the office alongside Kuroda, the last thing she expects to see is all of those hired to cleanse the Old Schoolhouse sitting in a half circle inside-well, except Lin-san, though she can't say she isn't surprised. She and Ayako both share mutual glances of confusion. Naru tells them to take a seat and flicks off the light. It takes a moment for Mai's gaze to adjust to the sudden darkness. A pulsing light of is the focus of what Mai assumes is an experiment of some sort-SPR _is_ intended for research, after all.

Naru addresses the room. "Focus on the light. Match your breathing to it." As the light continues to pulsate, Mai feels herself becoming almost dazed. Somewhere far away, Naru adds, "Loosen your shoulders." Then, so lost in her stupor, she almost misses Naru say, "The chair on the second floor of the old school house will move." _Wait, what?_ The lights are flicked on, causing Mai to groan and cover her eyes for a moment. "You're all free to go."


	13. Thantophobia

Thantophobia: the phobia of losing someone you love

So, I think this chapter will be a bit of a surprise. A huge thanks to you guys for reading and favoriting, following, and/or reviewing. I'm curious to see what you guys think about this one! :D

* * *

 _Tap. Tap. Tap_. Mai hammers in a nail with more force than strictly necessary before grabbing another and repeating the process. Though she's not thrilled about being told what to do by Naru of all people, Mai does admit that hammering in nails is a constructive way to take out her frustration on something. Naru, on the other hand, presses 'cancel' for the third time on his phone screen. A moment later, it starts vibrating again. He heaves a sigh, stepping from the room and putting the phone to his ear.

"First you block my thoughts and now you don't answer my calls, Noll!" a mockingly outraged voice says. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're ignoring me!"

"I'm on a case, Gene."

"Yes, yes. Father agrees with your theory, by the way-"

"Of course he does," Naru interrupts smugly.

"-And Mum says 'hello.' She wants you to call her soon."

"Fine," Naru says bluntly. "Now, did you have a particular reason for calling or should I just save myself the time and end the call now?"

Upon finishing boarding up the second floor classroom, Mai stands back, her grip on the hammer loosening as she admires her and John's handiwork.

"What now, Naru?" She turns, looking around the room. "Naru?" She huffs, stomping over to stand by Bou-san, her loud grumbling ending mid-complaint by a softly spoken but no less sharp reprimand.

"Please, Noll?" If you spoke to Mum, I'm sure you-"

"No, Gene," Naru says sternly.

"It was only a little mishap-"

"You nearly _died_ ," Naru snaps. "Even _you_ cannot make light of _that_ , Gene."

"But don't you want to use your PK?" His PK, locked away by massive amounts of self control and discipline, feels as though he's missing a limb. No, that's not completely accurate. Not being able to use his PK is like a surgeon unable to keep his hands steady enough to conduct precise surgeries or a pianist's fingers contorted in odd directions by arthritis. So, yes, of course he does and Gene very well knows it.

"Even if I didn't agree with Mother-and I do-I will not participate in your inane, half-brained schemes, Gene. Goodbye." Naru can practically see him slouching with exaggerated disappointment, pouting as though they're still little boys. In moments like these, Naru wonders how, exactly, Gene is the older twin. He ends the call and rejoins the group.

"After you sign each board, we'll be finished for the evening," Naru says, addressing both John and Mai, handing a marker to the Catholic priest.

"Okay, Shibuya-san," John says cheerfully. He and Mai quickly set to work and it's not long before she and Ayako are on the road, headed for home. Mai finds herself wondering about Naru's experiment, even as she notices light peeking through cracks in her curtains. She waves to Ayako as she dashes to the door.

"I'm home!" she announces, stepping out of her shoes. "Mom?"

"In my office." To her surprise, Mai finds Someina curled up in her leather armchair, legs pulled up as she nurses a glass of wine and appears to be reading a novel.

"Did your appointment go well?" Mai asks hopefully, taking a seat beside her mother in the matching armchair. Someina sighs, setting down her book on the coffee table between them.

"I didn't go," she answers, continuing before Mai has the chance to interrupt. "I'm _fine_ , Mai. I don't see why-" Mai interrupts anyway.

"For _now_ ," she hisses. Tears prick her eyes at her mother's stubbornness and her hands clench into fists.

"I'm not sick," she continues, nodding resolutely. "That was merely a fluke. Besides, I have too much work to do. I don't have _time_ to-"

"Mom!" Mai cries. "Please, listen-"

"There's nothing more to discuss," Someina says, picking up her novel. She might not have said as much, but Mai knew she'd been dismissed. She stands, clenching her jaw so hard she feels her teeth creak before pounding out of the office to her bedroom, where she slams the door shut. Mai sinks to the floor, her head on her knees. Anger burns unpleasantly in her stomach taking the form of helpless tears.

* * *

Hello Readers!

I know my chapters are pretty short but please bear with me for now. I completely intend to go back and revise to not only rid this story of grammatical and structural errors but also to lump these short chapters into longer chapters. Right now, however, it's just easier to do it this way. (Maybe over the summer, I hope?)

Also, I've created a Convalescent Pinterest board to help prevent me from writer's block. My username is MadiCMae. If you're ever board (yes, that was a pun on purpose), feel free to check it out and let me know what you think! :D

M.C.


	14. Bel-esprit

Sorry about the hiatus! Please let me know what you think and thanks for reading.

M.C.

Bel-esprit: a person of great wit or intellect

* * *

"Just as I suspected," Naru murmurs. Mai leans forward, eyes widened as she stares at one of the rows of screens. There, Mai watches as the chair moves, before finally falling over. It's something so simple and yet knowing that a supernatural force is behind the movement is enough to cause Mai to shiver.

"But...How?" she murmurs. "There weren't any ghosts, so…"

"The cause is...Kuroda," Naru explains, observing the student.

"Me?" she exclaims, just as Mai slaps her palm on her forehead. The pieces click. _How_ had she _missed_ that?

"Of course," she mutters.

"What's your theory, Mai?" Naru asks.

"What?"

"Your theory," he repeats, that infuriating smirk set in place. Mai glares, crossing her arms.

"Fine," she snaps. She'd show him she's not as stupid as he seems to think he is. "Well, Kuroda is psychic, first of all. This is supported by the fact that Masako didn't sense anything since, well, there _wasn't_ anything. And...Your little blinking light experiment!" Mai practically yells. "You knew when you did that, didn't you? That was why we had to make sure the chair wasn't tampered with, too. When we were put into a trance, you made Kuroda believe that the chair would move. And it _did_ -because Kuroda made it move! That's why stuff was shaking and why there were tapping noises. Am I wrong?" Silence. The group all stares at her in surprise. Naru, ever the expressive one, raises an eyebrow. So, he _didn't_ think she'd caught on-granted, she just figured it out, but still. Irritation curls in her chest.

"How'd you know?" Bou-san asks. Caught off guard, all Mai manages is an _intellectual_ , "Huh?"

"That Kuroda is psychic. You defended her."

"I told you," Mai says, "I can tell when people are lying."

Ayako, filled with pride for her student for not only showing Naru up-no matter how slight it was-but the whole group, beams with pride. If anyone could keep up with Naru-whether it's intelligence (though their intelligences differ; Naru's appears to be traditionally text-based whereas Mai's intelligence lies with personal experience), temperament (both are ridiculously stubborn; Mai's just more vocal about it), or their ties to the supernatural (though Naru's is through choice while Mai is tied to it no matter how much she tries to push it aside, to separate herself from her ability out of fear of not being taken seriously by the medical circle she hopes to join)-it's Mai.

" _I_ did this?" Kuroda murmurs, staring at her hands as though the answer to that question lies there.

"Not wholly. This building _is_ sinking, but, yes, you did cause the poltergeists."

"Kuroda," Mai interrupts, smiling reassuringly. "Now you have your undeniable proof, even if people choose not to believe you." Kuroda nods, seeming dazed. She finally got her validation. Then, she smirks.

"Why would _I_ care about what they think?" she asks haughtily. "It's not _my_ job to make them believe me." Hearing her own words, brought about from Ayako's teachings, is astounding. Meeting Mai's gaze, Kuroda smiles earnestly.

"The reason for this building's problems will be listed as land subsidence. Everyone here will be equally responsible for solving this case. Is this adequate to everyone?" There's unanimous agreement all around.


	15. Aspectabund

Thanks for taking the time to read!

Aspectabund: To have an expressive face

* * *

Mai, having finished her book in the class before last, slouches in her seat, the teacher's dull monotone faded into nothing more than indistinct, low pitched noise. She knows she ought to pay attention-and quit passing notes to Michiru before they get caught-but she can't help it. Monotone lecture + zero sleep + crashing from her earlier caffeine intake = zoned-out Mai.

Whatever. She'll do well enough on the test and that'll keep her afloat.

 _Creeeeeaaaaaaaak._ The jarring sound in the otherwise mundane classroom is enough to send a chill down her spine. Along with the rest of the classroom, her attention is turned toward the windows, just as the Old Schoolhouse comes crashing down. The whispers start immediately, and Mai can practically feel the rumors being created. Before Mai can remind them of the earlier announcement relaying what Naru told the administrators, the intercom clicks on.

"Mai Taniyama, please come to the office. Mai Taniyama, please come to the office. Thank you." Click. Upon realizing that Kuroda hadn't been summoned to the office, ice spreads in Mai's chest. _Oh, no. Mom_. Nearly tripping over a chair in her haste to get out of there, Mai flees the classroom without bothering to grab her things. If worse comes to worst (and she really, _really_ hopes it doesn't), she knows Michiru will grab them for her.

"What's going on?" Mai demands the secretary, who points to a phone attached to the opposite wall. "What's _going_ on?"

"Mai." The air that seemed stuck a moment ago loosens enough to allow her to finally exhale in a huff.

"Speaking. What's up, Naru?"

"Does your school allow for you to have a job? I've had a part-time assistant position open up at SPR," Naru explains. "Would you be interested in coming to work for me?" _Well…_

"Yes," she answers, not really realizing until this moment how much she _wanted_ this. She dreads telling Ayako, though.

"Alright. I'll send you the address." Mai doesn't even think to ask _how_ he'll send her it until well after she floated back to class, suddenly wide awake but not more attentive than before. Just as he said he would, a message pops up in her inbox moments later, jarring her and the rest of the class. Blush embarrassingly obvious, Mai squeaks out an apology, silences the phone, and doesn't look up at her teacher for a solid five minutes. This time, though, she does finally pay enough attention to roughly follow the lesson.

* * *

As instructed, Mai makes her way to the Shibuya district after school. She tries not to appear over-enthusiastic, having a feeling that Naru will take that as initiative to make his comments even more biting and insulting than usual. Still, each time she catches sight of her reflection in a business window, she knows she's failing miserably. It appears that not even Naru can tear her down, which just makes her brighten up more.

It's not long between her thoughts and the _awareness_ that floods her each time she accidentally/on purpose makes physical contact with, in this case, strangers that she arrives at the bottom of a staircase leading up to what she knows to be SPR. With a fortifying breath, Mai makes her way up. _Should I knock?_ She deliberates with herself for far too long before huffing and just walking inside.

"I was curious to see how long you'd stand outside like an idiot," Naru observes from what looks like the doorway of a small kitchen as Mai studies the perfectly ordinary front room that oozes sleek and professional, yet somehow still comfortable.

"If you were in here, watching me-like a creep, I might add-why didn't you just, I don't know, _open_ it?!"

"Because, Mai," he says with what she's beginning to realize is his trademark smirk, "that would be too easy."

"Jerk," Mai grumbles.

"Is that any way to speak to your employer?" That pesky fact is going to be the end of her and, she knows, is just one more thing to lord over her.

"Probably not," Mai agrees, "but I'm going to do it anyway. Somebody's got to keep you from over inflating your ego and it looks like that job has fallen to me." She pauses. "Jerk."

"I'm surprised that the job of keeping me from 'over inflating my ego' would fall to you." She knows she's being led into a verbal trap so she settles with a cautious, "Oh?"

"Yes. With you here, I hardly need to do anything to keep my ego properly, as you said, 'inflated'." She narrows her eyes before settling on a very mature course of action: sticking her tongue out and grumbling about 'arrogant narcissists,' until Naru interrupts her. "We will be taking a case in a few days. I'd hate to see you descend into the depths of dumb-" " _Narcissist!"_ "-so I would suggest talking with your teachers and getting your assignments."

"You don't need to remind me to do that," Mai growls.

"Obviously, I do."

"Quit insulting my intelligence!"

"Give me a reason to quit," Naru suggests instead.

"There _have_ to be laws about not verbally abusing employees," Mai grumbles. She has a feeling that this banter will become common occurrence between them.

"It's not 'verbal abuse' of the employee if the employee began the exchange, Mai."

"Is that just an intelligent way of saying, 'you started it'?"

"If it was, I wouldn't waste my time attempting to explain it to you."

"Because I'm dumb and wouldn't understand or because you're _so_ important that you can't spare a moment to answer a simple 'yes or no' question?"

"Both."

"Jerk," she repeats, this time without as much bite to it.


End file.
